David Lidsky's Blog, page 252

Hope is not the same as optimism, research shows

What makes hope a virtue is not its ability to promote happiness and success but its commitment to a greater good beyond the self.

On April 3, 1968, standing before a crowded church, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. painted his vision for justice. “I’ve seen the Promised Land,” he said. “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

How MLK’s ‘beloved community’ is rooted in 19th-century religious philosophy

In simplest terms, King defined the beloved community as a community transformed by love.

Since 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law, many Americans have observed the federal holiday to commemorate the life and legacy of the civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and theologian.

Build your focus stack with these proven tools and gadgets

My focus stack has three layers: planning tools, focus tools, and analysis tools.

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.

UPDATE: Trump says he will issue an executive order Monday to get TikTok back after ban

The company’s app was removed Saturday evening from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google, while its website told users that the short-form video platform was no longer available.

President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent U.S.ban.

How a course for law students uses art museums to teach them how to present arguments

Students examine the intellectual, emotional, and professional overlap between the craft of presenting art and the craft of presenting arguments.

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

With fewer babies and more people living longer, these countries are facing shrinking and aging populations

For many countries with shrinking populations, the slow-moving but hard-to-reverse trend has prompted governments to offer financial incentives to encourage people to have children to help support the growing number of elders.

A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy.

A basic guide to home equity for first-time buyers

One of the most common arguments for home ownership is the ability to build equity. Here’s why financial experts revere it.

If you’re starting to think about buying your first place but don’t know the difference between home equity and Homer Simpson, don’t worry. You’re not alone.

What can you do if your company is cutting DEI programs?

As employers continue scaling back their DEI commitments, you might be worried about the impact on underrepresented groups. Here’s how you can do your part as a leader.

2024 was a tough year for progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Not long after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, companies began making subtle changes to DEI policies and programs that catered to underrepresented workers, seemingly in response to escalating legal attacks and conservative backlash.

Tired of Notion? Sick of Slack? This site will help you find free alternatives

This simple tool serves up smart suggestions for free and often even open-source substitutes for all sorts of popular services.

Let’s be honest: Some apps and services are absolutely worth paying for—but sooner or later, we all reach our limit.

Looking to dump Facebook, X, and TikTok? This is how to build a brand without using social media

The founder of Birk Creative agency conducted an experiment to see if she could run the business and continue to build a professional brand, with little—if any social media—all from a flip phone.

These days it feels like we’re stuck in still water, our minds submerged in toxic muck, flailing our arms in inauthentic looping conversations. Self-talk is like a silent scream of the hateful social media comments (now with even less moderation and more algorithmic manipulation) we are bombarded with day after day, believing information only to realize almost too late, that it was all a complete lie.